it's time to get above ourselves

Owen Jones meets Mhairi Black

We had hoped to interview Mhairi as part of our series, but we couldn’t make it happen, so instead we are re-posting this interview by Owen Jones from the SNP conference.

Jones explains: “I went to meet her at the party’s spring conference in Glasgow, where we talked about how the SNP caused a political reawakening in Scotland, Labour’s failings in the run up to that political earthquake and whether the party is really as leftwing as it likes to portray itself. Mhairi Black also told me she believes Westminster is like an old boys club, removed from reality, which needs to be dragged into the 21st century.”

That’s what Bella Caledonia is all about.

But we need your support to move forward…

8 Comments

Donnie MacLachlan
2 years ago

A politician with a brain, compassion, an opinion and the ability to think!

Unfortunately Mhairi and her SNP colleagues are being blacklisted en masse by the media including the state broadcaster. Consequently Mhairi’s message is not being heard in Scotland- how can this be changed?

Mhairi sums up Scottish labour’s dilemma succinctly, it can not serve multiple masters and expect to have short term credibility or long term appeal. They will go the same way as the liberals who pursued the all things to all people all of the time strategy and end up all over the place!

Mhairi’s point about Scotland being run with one arm behind its back is well made. The recent glee by bbc and others when questioning SNP on the deficit should be responded to with:

1. Who has the macro economic levers of control, is ultimately in charge of Scotland’s economy and on whose watch have these figures arisen?

2. Who is to blame if the colony’s economy is bumping along, the colonisers or the colonised?

When we are being excluded on main stream media from seeing the politicians Scots have elected and this being replaced by the audience at the Dundee Question Time, is there any doubt that Scotland has become a colony?

Mundell’s backing the of the uk position to the detriment of Scotland’s best interests in the recent fiscal framework agreement is something thats been covered up and ignored by the press for obvious reasons, if you need further evidence for Scotland’s colonial status!

Strategist
2 years ago

What an extraordinary talent! 21 years of age. How formidable she is going to be as she gains experience!

She’s got a interesting problem: how to pace herself over what can be a very very long career if she wants it.

Roll on a rescheduled interview – I would love to see Mike interview Mhairi in the same format as the Alex Salmond interview.

Genuine question: can SNP Westminster MPs run for Holyrood, and build up a cumul des mandats in the French style? (or indeed as the Northern Irish DUP politicans do) It feels like a waste of talent having her too much at Westminster.

muttley79
2 years ago

Mhairi Black is only 21 years old, she has plenty of time to gain political experience at Westminster. No doubt she will learn a hell of a lot about politics in the next 5 years. Having Angus Robertson, Stewart Hosie, Alex Salmond etc in the SNP group will significantly help her development, as will newer MPs, such as Joanna Cherry, John Nicholson and others. I suspect a fair proportion of SNP MPs will find themselves at Holyrood at some point in the future. Mhairi Black would very likely fall into this category.

Alf Baird
2 years ago

Doubting Thomas
2 years ago

Talent!
What has she done?
Absolutely zilch.
She may have potential but without a bit of humility until she gains life experience she comes across simply as an outspoken clone spouting the same drivel as the rest of her party.
I notice since she was so markedly out of step with Wee Nicola on fracking she has been told to keep quiet and to only repeat the party line.
Probably a good thing as she was looking to be a real threat to the dear leader.
I think her views are very left wing and probably not a good fit for the Natsis and therein lies a problem for all of us.
Their vote has been massively increased by the Oirish catholic population in the west of Scotland and by the extreme left.
They are not normal allies of the Natsis and this phenomenon reflects a perceived opportunity to break up the status quo. If Wee Nicola cannot deliver she will almost certainly lose this transient section of her current support back to leftist parties.
The extreme left wing rhetoric from SNP MPs and MSPs is also starting to alienate traditional supporters and this was reflected in the EU referendum with so many rural SNP supporters voting to leave.
Looks to me like Wee Nicola has peaked and is already on the way down.
The question is how quickly will her “talented” MPs drag her down and jump ship.